Title: We All Saw
Author: Frog, or Fufu to some.


Yeah, I saw the little girl.

I think we all saw the little girl. I mean, she was really out of place. With her pink party dress and her doll, sitting on the dock and watching us boys. Everybody else had tried to strike up a conversation (which resulted in miserable failure, apparently) with this little girl by the time I walked over to her. And I only found it natural that I do the same.

I sat down to next to her. She looked at me with her quiet brown eyes. I frowned.

"Hey girly... what exactly're ya doin' here?"

She looked at me curiously. A few minutes had passed before she answered. "Daddy killed Mama. Daddy tried to kill me. I was scared so I ran. And I'm here. I'm scared."

I gazed her over. "Yer dad's gonna want you back, ain't he?"

She looked like she was about to cry. "I don't want to go back! Don't make me go back to Daddy!"

"Easy!" I said frantically. "Easy!" She looked up at me as I studied her. "You don't got a place to stay?'

The girl shook her head.

I sighed a bit.

"You can stay with us tonight, girly. Just try not to get involved in our business." I meant it. We were planning some pretty drastic things tonight. And it's never good to get a girl mixed up in potential murder.

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you! Thank you, mister!"

I just nodded right back and pointed her in the right direction.

***

We all saw the fire. How could we not? It was our home, blazing.

Apparently somebody knew what we were planning. And they tried to break it up. Which wasn't ever a good thing.

I ran my hands through my hair as I tried to count the boys. After a few counts, I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was here. Every one of my boys.

And something in my head sparked. Oh. Shit. The girl. The girl is in the house.

What should I have done? I should have gotten her. And what did I do? Nothing. I couldn't let my boys see that I was compassionate about some girl... I just couldn't.

Anyway, I assumed someone else would do it. And I scanned their faces to see who the brave one would be. But nobody showed any signs. And I could tell. I know my boys.

We were all thinking the same thing. That this little girl wasn't worth it.

And as the fire grew, our hearts all wished to save this little girl. But we all held back. It was murder trying to go in there now. Murder.

***

It's been seven years. Seven damn years since I saw the little girl. And those seven years have gone by mighty fast.

Can you imagine what could have happened if we had saved that little girl? She would have been a woman today. A woman.

And as I sit here and ponder that little girl, I wonder. Was it all really worth it? I could have risked ridicule for this little girl.

But it doesn't matter now. She's dead.

And with her, part of me keeps dying.

***

A/N: Yay! Angsty!Spot! :) I hope you like it. This is my first Newsies venture on FFN, so please review.

And much props to my NJL girls, especially Shortie and Vinyl, but only because I'm speaking to them. *high fives Vinyl*

And to Rosie! I love you Rosie! My darling editor! *orginally had "ediot"* *coughs*